Welcome back to Musical Monday! This week, I’ll be straying from my usual format of discussing a musical favorite by covering a musical I’m less familiar with. This week’s Musical Monday is about “Pippin,” in honor of the theatre department’s callbacks for that very show taking place this evening.
Plot
“Pippin” follows a troupe of performers, guided by a Leading Player, as they tell the story of a young boy trying to find his place in life. It is a play within a play, wherein the actor who plays the titular character also tries to find his place in life. Through revolutions, women, cheap thrills and family drama, Pippin eventually finds it, defying his troupe in the process.
Show History
The history of “Pippin” began at Carnegie Mellon University, as a student musical. However, composer Stephen Schwartz — best known for “Wicked” — says that nothing from the Carnegie Mellon version made it to the final show. Schwartz then teamed up with book writer Roger O. Hirson and director Bob Fosse — who also contributed to the script.
“Pippin” made it to Broadway on Oct. 23, 1972 in the Imperial Theatre, and was a massive success, running for almost 2,000 performances. It is the 38th longest-running Broadway show. The original Broadway production was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Scenic Design and Best Lightning Design.
A much shorter-lived West End run opened on Oct. 30, 1973 — running for 85 performances. It was co-directed by Fosse’s personal assistant Louise Quick and original Broadway cast member Gene Foote, but used Fosse’s blocking and choreography.
In 2013, “Pippin” was revived on Broadway, with a number of changes to the original show. A musical number from Act One was cut, and an extended ending was added. Additionally, the role of the Leading Player, originally played by a man, was instead played by a woman. The revival ran from April 25, 2013 to Jan. 4, 2015.
Personal History
My personal history with “Pippin” is much shorter than it is with any other show covered on Musical Monday. I listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording at some point as a child, but other than that, I did not have much experience with it until my Sophomore year of high school. A local community theatre in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico put on a production of “Pippin” that I attended with a friend. Her mom was working on the show, so we stayed after and helped with strike — when the cast and crew takes down the set, costumes, lights and other show-specific items.
I enjoyed seeing the show then, but it didn’t quite make its way into my regular musical rotation. However, with SUU’s announcement that they will be doing “Pippin” in the fall, I’ve been listening again.
Favorite Songs
This is the cliche answer, but my favorite song from “Pippin” is “Corner of the Sky,” sung by Pippin himself as he discusses his desire to find where he belongs. It’s a beautiful, slightly wistful song. It’s the song from the show I’m most likely to listen to on its own. I also like “Kind of Woman,” which is sung by Pippin’s love interest Catherine as she introduces herself.
Favorite Fact
By far my favorite thing about “Pippin” is that both Ben Vermeer — who originated Leading Player, and Patina Miller — who played Leading Player in the 2013 revival, won Tony Awards for their portrayal of the role. They are the first —- and currently, only —- people to win the Tony for Leading Actor in a Musical and Leading Actress in a Musical for the same role. I love that the structure of “Pippin” allows for the change in gender to be made, especially because it means anybody can play the role in community theatre productions. The fact that Patina Miller won a Tony Award for a role originally written for and played as a man just makes it even better.
Author: Tessa Cheshire
Photos courtesy of Joan Marcus
Editor: Anna Mower
arts@suunews.net
